Automatically timed apparatus for heat treatment



Aug. 2,1932 G. BRowNlG AUTOMATICALLY TIHED APPAR'L'IUS.l FOR HEAT TREATMENT Original Filed Aug. l5. 192? 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 g 2 1932 BROWNING 1,87,7@

AUTOMATICALLY TIMED APPARATUS FOR HEAT TREATMENT Original Filed Aug. l5, 1927 4 Sheets-Sheei 2 2, 1932. v G. BRowNlNG- 1,879,170 AUTOMATICALLY TIMED APPARATUS FOR HEAT TREATIET 4 sheets-sheet s rg/nal Filed Aug.. 15 1927 G. BROWNING Aug. 2, 1932.

1Q870,170 AUTbuATIALLY TIMED APPARATUS Fon HEAT TREATMENT 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 A y Original Filed Aug. 15. 1927 nah Patented ug. 2v i932 GEORGE BROWNING, OF WILMETTE, ILLXNQXS, SSIGNOR TO CHICAGO FLEXIBLE SHAFT COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOES, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS AUTOMTICALLY TIMED APPARATUS FOR HEAT TREATMENT Application filed August 15, 1927, Serial No. 213,179. Renewed June 25l 1932.

The purpose of this invention is to provide an improved apparatus for heat treatment,- cooking, drying, or other treatment employing heat developing` means, preferably electric,--comprisin g means for timing the duration of heat periods of heat treatment, whether by timing the period of exposure of the article treated with the heating means or by timing the period of heat duration. It

i0 consists of certain elements and features of construction in combination, as herein shown and described and as indicated by the claims.

in the drawings v Figure 1 is a side elevation of a structure embodying this invention.

Figure 2 is a rear end elevation of the same.

Figure 3 is a transverse vertical section at the staggered line 3-3 on Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a transverse vertical section at the line %4 on Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a horizontal section at the plane indicated by the line 5-5 on Figure 3.

Figuies 6 and 7 are transverse vertical sections at the piane indicated by the line 6 7, 6 7, on Figure 3, certain parts being omitted from each of said figures for disclosing parts which would otherwise be obscured.

Figure 8 is a detail elevation of a large gear in the timing train, the timer being shown in Se dotted line in the position relative to said gear.

Figure 9 is a horizontal section at the plane indicated by the line 9-9 on Figure 3V for showing the heater-energizing circuit conv nections and switch, other parts at said plane being omitted.

Figure 10 is a section aXial withrespect to. they timer showing the timer mounting and regulating means.

Figure 11 is a detail of a portion of the structure shown in Figure l0 upon an enlarged scale. Y l

Figure 12 is a detail section constituting a continuation of the parts shown in Figure 11 upon the same scale in the same plane.

Figure 13 is a detail sectional elevation showing parts constituting au audible signal in relation to the timer train wheel by which it is operated, section being made through the lower rear right-hand corner of the casing at -to heat treatment, and means for determinstituting rear end legsy of the structure. At

the sameplane as Figures 6 and 7 from which he parts shown in Figure 13 are omitted to avoid obscuring` parts specially shown in those figures.

Figure 14 is a perspective view ot the circuit connection and switch upon a larger scale than the same are shown in Figure 9.

Figure 15 is a perspective view oi one of the parts in the circuit shown in Figure 1t, reversed in position from that at which it appears in said Figure 14. y

Figure 16 is a section at the line 16--16 on Figure 9.

The structure shown in the drawings comprises a frame or casing for mounting and enclosing two heating units and a carrier for the article to receive heat treatment, mechanism for operating the carrier to move it into and out of position for exposing the contents ing the duration of such exposure. m

Inthe speciic embodiment of the invention shown in the drawings, the heating means is electric and the periods of heat treatment are terminated and their duration therefore determined both by interrupting the electric circuit and by withdrawing the carrier from proximity to the heating elements, `Vand tlf'us taking the contents more or less out of the region of exposure to the heat.

The supporting and enclosing frame or casing comprises opposite parallel side plates, 10-10, joined by a front transverse bar, 11, the junction being effected by angular' clasps, 12-12, formed by the upper end portions of tubular legs, lei- 14, which support the structure at the front end, said side plates being L-shaped in side elevation, as seen in Figure 1, the arms,.10-10a, of their L-shape conthe -forward 'vertical edges Aof the legs, 10a-10, the plates, 10'10, are folded to form inwardly projecting ianges, l0b--l0b, which aord means of securing a supplemental portion of the trame or casing for enclosing certain parts of the mechanism separately from the heating elements andthe carrier of the article to be heat treated, as will be hereinafter more particularly described.

A lower heating element is mounted be- 100 tween the plates, lO-l0, consisting ot side bars, 20-20, joined at front and rear ends by transverse bars, 21-21, between which the electrically energized heating coils, 30, extend, being laced back and forth between said transverse bars longitudinally ot the structure, as seen in Figures 3, and 5. Below the lower heatingunit there is provided a bottom plate, 35, having` lateral upturned flanges, 35, dimensioned for clasping between said flanges the lower edges ol the side plates, l0-l0, said bottom plate being hinged by means of said flanges at its rear end, as seen at 35h, to said side plates, lO-lO, the front edge having also an upturned flange, 35C, provided with two small inwardly struck bosses, 35d, for engaging apertures, il, in the cross bar, ll, of the trame to retain the bottom plate in position extending horizontally under the lower heating unit, An upper heating unit is provided formed with parallel side bars, ld-40, joined rigidly by transversevbars, 4l, and a top plate, .lQ, the heating coil, 43, being laced back and forth between the transverse bars longitudinall)r ot the structure, similar to the construction of the lower heating unit. This upper heating unit is mounted between the upper marginal portions of the side plates, l0-l0. said mounting being by means of studs, lOf-lOf, pio jecting inwardly 'from the side plates, lO-lO, engaging vertical slots, 40-l0a, in the side bars, 40-40, near the opposite ends ot said side bars, this construction being for the purpose of adapting the upper heat-ing unit to be adjusted up and down with respect to the lower unit', which adjustment is effected by longitudinal sliding rack bars, .t5- 4in interposed between the plates, l0-l0, and the bars l0--4t0, respectively, guided for longitudinal sliding by means ot' slots 45, in said rack bars respectively engaging studs, 10b, which project inwardly trom the plates, l0 respectively, said bars, 40, having toward their opposite ends respectively oblique cam slots, 45e-45, which are engaged with studs, 40C-40C, projecting into them from the rack bars, 45, 45, respectively. A rock shaft, 4-7, extending across the structure at the rear end of the upper heating unit and journalled in the side plates, 10--10, carries pinions, 47E- 473, which mesh with the racks, 45h-45", of the rack bars, 45H45; and the rock shaft has at one end at the outer side of one of the side plates, 10-10, an operating knob, 47, for rotating the rock shaft to operate the sliding rack bars to cause them by the cam-slots engaging the studs projecting from the rack bars co-operating with the vertical slots, 4th-40a, of the side bars, 40, 40, and the studs, 10f-l0f, engaged therewith, to raise and lower the upper heating unit.

Between the upper and lower heating units there is mounted slidingly between the side plates, 10-10, a carrier for the article O b@ heat-treated which comprises parallel side bars, `50*50, tied together by light rods or wires, 5l, at intervals in the length of the side bars and constituting a grating for supporting the article to be heated,-as for example, a slice of bread to be toasted,-indi cated at A. The side bars, SO-50, are longitudinally slotted at 52 the slots being engaged by studs, 53, projecting from the side plates, itl-l0. This carrier is provided with a cross bar, 54, located rearwardly beyond the area in which the grating rods, 5l, are located, for rendering the carrier suitably rigid independently of said rods, the rear end slots, 52, in the side bars, 50, being located rearwardly beyond said cross bar; and said rearwadly en tending and slotted part ot said side bars have their lower edges formed as racks, as seen at 55-55 5 and a shaft, 60, joui-nailed in the side plates, lO, extending across the structure carrying gear pinions Gl-61, which mesh with the racks, 55-55, respectively, tor operating the carrier to slide it in and out between the upper and lower heating units. The shaft, 60, carries also at one end adjacent to the gear pinion, Gl, at that end, a bevel gear, 63, which meshes with a bevel gear, 73, on a longitudinally extending shaft, 75, which is supported on the supplemental trame and casing above mentioned and which will now be described.

This supplemental frame comprises a bottom plate, 70, formed integrally with a rear end plate, 7l, folded at right angles thereto, both parts,70and7l,beinginwardly flanged as seen at a and 71a, respectively, for rigidity and to atlord means of securing the supplemental frame and casing to the principal frame structure previously described,` which securement is effected by the plates, ZO-7l, being dimensioned so that the flanges, TOL-71a, embrace the lower horizontal and the rear vertical edges of the plates, 10-10, to which said supplemental frame is secured by screws through said flanges and screwed into said side plates, lO-lO. This supplemental trame and casing is completed by a partition plate, 74, secured by screws to inturned flanges, 10b, formed at the forward vertical edges of the leg portions, 10, of the side plates, 10-10, and the flange, 10", and upturned at the bottom part, 70, of the supplemental frame and casing. For supporting and 'journaling the shaft 75, an extended journal bearing, 7 6, is welded onto the forward face of the rear end plate, 71, and parallel horizontal bracket rods, 78-7 8, are likewise welded to said end plate positioned vertically above and below said journal bearing, 76, and a bracket plate, 79, secured by screws, 79a, to the forward ends of said rods and to the side plate, l0, affords the second journal bearing for the shaft, 75, which carries at its forward end in front of the plate, 79, the bevel gear, 73, above mentioned as meshing with the bevel gear, 63, on the shaft,

60, by whose rotation the carrier is propelled in and out between the upper and lower heat- .gear actuating train,comprising the bevel gears, 023-73, the spur gears, 81, 61,` and the racks, 45, 45, and another train about to be described, and which maybe referred to as the timer operating train. 'lhe gear, 80,l becomes the initial gear of both these trains by virtue oi the circumstance that about its shaft, 75, there is coiled what may be referred to as a motor spring, 77, oi which one end is made fast to the gear, 80, and the other end is engaged with the plate in which said shaft, 75, is journalled, so that the rotation ofthe shaft in one direction coils the spring, conditioning it for reaction from such ceiling for rotating the shaft, 7 5, and the spur gear, 80, and bevel gear, 78, thereon, and the two trains indicated.

84, projecting from the rear frame plate 71,

and meshing with a gear, 85, carried on the forward end of a shaft, 86, which is journalled in sad rear frame plate, 71, and at the rear,-outer,end has secured to it an operating lever, 87. The gear, 83, carries a lever arm, 88, whose forward end is flexed over I toward the large gear, 81, and swings close to the rearface of said gear as the gear, 83, 1s rotated by the described gear connections v from the operating lever, 87. And said larger gear, 81, has'projecting rom its rear face an abutment, 80", wh'ch is encountered by the lever arm, 88, when the gear, 83, is rotated in clockwise direction,-referring to Figure 6,-by the rotative movement of the operating lever, 87, in said clockwise direction.

lOn a stud, 90, projecting from the forward face of the rear frame plate, 71', there isY journalled a small spur gear, 91, with which, as well as with the gear, 83, the gear, 85, on the rock shaft, 86, meshes, rotating sa'd gear, 91, when the operating lever, 87, is actuated for operating .the train through whichn the gear, 80, is rotated as described. The gear, 91, carries a lever arm, 92, which in the rotation of said gear, 91, encounters a stud, 93, projecting from oneside bar of a U-shaped yoke, 100, which spans and embraces the gear, 81, andthe timer hereinafter described, said yoke being p'voted at one `end in the stud, 9 0, 'on which the gear, 91, is journalled, and at the other endin abracket, 101,

(see Fig. 5) mounted on the partition plate, 74. Journalled in said partition plate, 74, and also in the rear end plate, 71, at the lower part of the supplemental frame, is a roclr shaft, 103, carrying rigidly a locking dog device in the form of a bell crank lever, 104, of which one arm, 104i, extends horizontally alongside the gear, 80, at the forward side of the latter in position for encounter by a stud, 80C, which projects from said forward side in position relative to the stud, 80", to thus encounter said lever arm, 10aa, of the dog in the `closing few degrees of the rotative movement ot the gear, 81, by the lever arm, 88, of the gear, 88, above described, and in that encounter rocks the-roel; shaft, 108, carry ng the upright arm, 104", of the bell crank dog a short distance inward toward the axis oi the gear, 80,-and to a position at which the upper end of the upstanding arm, 10a", of

the bell crank dog is overhang by the cross bar of the U-shaped yoke, 100. Said upper end of the bell crank arm, 104, is beveled as seen at 104e, and at thev inwardly swung position as indicated, thebevel, 104, is in the path of the Adownward.swing movement of the yoke, 100, performedby gravity after it has been 'swung up byvencounter of the lever arm, 88, with the stud 80h.

In the stud axle, 82,'whi'ch as above mentioned is hollow, there is journalled and eX- tended entirely throughthesame, a shaft or spindle ot an hour-glass-shaped timer, A, which isthereby mounted for rocking about the axis of the gear, 81, adjacent the forward side of said gear; and two studs, 11i-, positioned symmetrically on and projecting from the rear side of each of the two similar members of said timer co-operate with a spring actuated dog, 120, which is mounted on the gear, 81, and stands in the path of rotation of the studs, -a:, operating to permit the timer to rotate relatively to the gear, 81, without limit or restriction in one direction, but stopping it against relative rotation in the other direction beyond 180 degrees.

Upon considering the operation of the structure as thus far described, it may be noted that,-starting with the parts in what 'may be called the normal or rest position,-

with the carrier withdrawn and protruding forwardly from between the heating units, as seen in Figures 5 and 6, and understanding that the motor spring, 77, is initially coiled with a substantial degree of tension tending to rotate the carrier-operating train in the direction for holding the carrier thus.

protruded, and notingalso that at this stage of the operation the gear, 85, is retractedvby the spring, 85a, to the position shown in Figure 6, while the gear, 83, has been rotated to cause the lever, 88, carried by said ear, 8,3, to encounter the hub of the gear, 91, said hubformed by the lever, 92, on said gear, 91 and that the gear, 8,1, at this stage of the operation is in position with abutments, 80", stopped against the under side of the lever, 88, it may be understood that if the operating lever, 87, is swung in anti-clockwise direction, looking toward said lever at the rearof the structure, through an angle of about 90 degrees, the lever arm, 88, engaged with the abutment, 80h, will rotate the gear, 81, about 180 degrees to a position at which the stud, 80, is engaged by the end ot the` horizontal arm 104:a of the hell crank dog, and the gear, 81, is thereby locked against reverse rotation. And it will be noted that at the same time, due to the Carrierpperating train comprising the gears on the shaft, 75, and the remainder ot the carrier-operating train, the carrier is withdrawn rearwardly to position between the heat units; and that in this operation the motor spring will be coiled to initial tension about the shaft, 75, and rendered ready to react for reversing both trains and retracting the carrier back torward'ly to protruding rest position. it will be seen that such reaction and reverse movement waits uponthe release of the gear, 81, from the locking effected by the engagement of the stud, 80C, with the end of the horizontal arm of the bell crank dog, which release may be efected by any means which will slightly rock the bell crank dog in the direction for tilting the upstanding arm ot the dog toward the axis of the gear, 8l.; and for this purpose the upper end of said upstanding arm is beveled at 104:0, and exposed in the path of the downward swing of the cross bar of the U-shaped yoke, 100, which it will be understood is swung upward to and a little past upright position in the operation by which the gear, 81, was rotated to the locked position described; so that it the operating lever, 87, is swung back to normal rest position after it is rocked as described in clockwise direction for winding up the motor spring and drawing the carrier between the heating units, the yoke upon being tilted back the short distance necessary to carry it past vertical position, will fall, and striking the beveled upper end of the upright arm of the bell crank dog will cam the latter through the small angle necessary for disengaging the end of the horizontal arm of the dog Jfrom the stud, 80, andthereby release the gear, 81, so that the reaction of the motor spring will reverse the gear train and cause it to retract the carrier from heat treatment position to rest position. The duration of exposure of the carrier contents to the heat treatment in the operation of the structure above described, being the interval between the manual actuation ot the operating lever as described, and the disengagement of the bell crank locking dog from the gear, 81, is governed by the hour-glass-shaped timer, Whose construction and operation will now be described.

This timer is a tWo-chambered device Whose chambers are both tapered co-axially to junction at their apexes and connected with each other at their junction through a small and preferably regulatable orifice, the device having a spindle projecting from the junction point ot the two chambers at right angles to the axis in common, said spindle being journalled in the axle hub of the hollow stud axle, 82, on which the gear, 8l, is journalled described; so that the timer in its entirety is rotatable about the axis ofv the gear, 81. butments, ai and el are provided projeeting from the sides of the timer toward the gear, 81, in position symmetricalw ly with respect to the two members Jfor encounter with a spring-actuated dog, 120, mounted on the iaee of the gear, 81, toward the timer, said dog being pivoted and stopped to permit the abutments to pass it freely in one direction o'll rotation of the timer relative to the gear, 81., but to stop the abutments and arrest such relative rotation in the other direction g so that from any position at which the timer may stand relative to the gear, 8l, it can rotate in said last mentioned direction not more than 180 degrees before encounter of one or the other of the abutments, -l, with the dog, in the direction in which the dog is unyielding, to arrest such movement of the timer.

The timer, A, has its chambers loaded with a suitable quantity of tine dry sand or like iinely granular material which can fiow from either chamber of the timer through the communicating orifice, a. Assuming that the device has been standing at rest position for a suliieient time to permit all the sand to be accumulated in one chamber ot the timer, leaving the other chamber empty, when the operating lever is actuated as described for drawing the carrier into heating position, and winding up the motor spring, the rotation of the gear, S1, through about 270 dcgrees to a position at which itiis locked by the bell crank dog, 104, as described, causes it to pick up'the timer, by the dog, 120, encountering the abutment, ail, on the lowerloaded-chamber, and rock the timer through enough less than 180 degrees to carry that loaded chamber to the upper side, nearly but not quite to the position at which the center of gravity ot the timer in its entirety is directly above its axis, the position at that stage being as seen in Figures and 8. The yoke, 100, by the same operation is carried to the position seen in Figure 7, at which its center of gravity also has been carried past the vertical plane ot its pivotal support; so that it tends to lean slightly against the upper end of the timer. The parts being halted in this position with the operating lever swung back to rest position so that the yoke, 100, is free from any restraint by the lever arm, 92, ot the gear, 91, it will haplever which encounters said gravity device v in the rotation derived by said additional gear from the manual operation of the train to the predetermined limit for rocking said gravity device upwardly slightly past the position of balance on its pivot to a position of stayed equilibrium, and a timer mounted for movement by a wheel of' the train to a position for moving the device back past said balanced position by the movement of said timer due to the movement of the timing means thereof.

2. In a structure for the purpose indicated, a motor spring; two trains in either of which it is conditioned for re-action to actuate said train in the reverse direction Jfrom that by which the spring is so conditioned; a carrier connected for movement by one of the trains in both of its directions of movement; a timer operated by the other train in the movement of said train in one of said directions; automatic means for locking the second menl whose rotation in one direction the'spring is yso conditioned for lreaction to reversely actuate said train: manually operable means for actuating the train in the first mentioned direction; means for locking the train against the reverse movement, and timer-controlled means for releasing said locking means, the lock-releasing means comprising a gravityoperated device adapted by its gravitycaused-movement to encounter and actuate the locking means in the direction for release, means by which a moving element of said train moves said gravity-operated means to supported position from which it may perform its gravity-caused-movement, the timer being adapted for controlling the means for releasing the locking means by moving said gravity-operated device from its said supported position.

4. In a construction for the purpose indicated in combination with a timer consisting of two chambers for owable timing material having a iiow orifice for communication between the chambers; a. spindle by which the timer is mounted for rocking to reverse the vertical order of the chambers and the consequent directionvpof iiow between them, said spindle extending across the junction of the tion ,obstructing the flow orifice and adapted.

to be screwed out to reduce the obstruction and increase the flow capacity, and means at a gear carried by the valve spindle in the casing, and intervening gears connected to said first mentioned gears, said train serving for communicating rotary movement from the manually operable member to the valve spindie for screwing itin and out with respect to the iow orifice.

6. A. heat treatment apparatus comprising a heating means, a carrier for the article to be heat-treated arranged formanual operation for moving it to a osition for exposure of the article to the h spring-actuated train associated with the carrier for returning it to initial position and arranged for having its spring conditioned for such return by the first mentioned movement; means for locking the carrierjat heattreatment position; releasing means for the locking means; a timer for operating said releasing means arranged to be adjusted to ,initialposition of its timing period by the movement of the carrier to said locked position, the timer being a pivoted device adapted to be adjusted and locked at a osition at which it may be overbalanced or gravity movement from said position, and comprising time-governed means for overbalancing it, the carrier-releasing means *comprising a part exposedcfor encounter of the overbalanced timer element in the movement of the August, 1927.

` GEORGE BROWNING.

two chambers, the communicating orifice be'- 'ing formed transversely thereof through said spindle at the junction with the timerat the junction of the timer chambers, said spindle being tubular, anda valve device consisting of a spindle extending within Athe tubular spindle of the timer and having threaded engagement with said tubular .Spinldle intermediate the ends, said valve device at eating means; a 

